System and method for monitoring and optimizing network performance to a wireless device

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a method for monitoring and optimizing network performance to a wireless device that includes determining network performance information of a wireless router and communicating data packets containing the network performance information to a network management device. In one embodiment, the network management device is configured to transmit instructional data packets to the wireless router that include instructions for optimizing network performance associated with the wireless device in response to identify a network performance problem associated with the wireless router.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A system for monitoring and optimizing network performance for a wireless device, the system comprising:
 a wireless router in direct communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals between the wireless router and the wireless device, the wireless router configured to:
 count a total number of data packets being communicated via the wireless router during a time period; 
 determine an amount of bandwidth associated with the data packets being communicated via the wireless router; 
 determine network performance information associated with data packets communicated over the wireless router; and 
 
 a packet network switch in network communication with the wireless router for communicating the data packets between the wireless router and the packet network switch; and 
 a network management device in communication with the packet network switch for instructing the packet network switch to route the network performance information to the network management device, the network management device utilizing the network performance information to:
 identify one or more network performance problems associated with the wireless router; and 
 transmit instructional data packets to the wireless router that include instructions for optimizing network performance to the wireless device in response to identifying the one or more network performance problems associated with the wireless router. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network management device further comprises:
 an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate over the network; and 
 a memory unit configured to store the network performance information indicative of bandwidth of the data packets communicated over the network by the wireless router. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network management device is configured to:
 determine whether at least one network performance information value of the wireless router exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and 
 communicate a switching instruction to the packet network switch to switch a flow of the data packets from a first data packet network to a second data packet network. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the network management device is configured to communicate a request to the wireless device to switch communication from one of the first and second data packet network to the other of the first and second data packet network. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network management device is configured to communicate a request for network performance data to the wireless router located on the packet network requesting the network performance information associated with the data packets communicated over the wireless router. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network management device is further configured to adjust power amounts to optimize the network performance to the wireless device. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network management device is further configured to adjust an encoding and decoding rate. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second wireless router in direct communication range with the wireless device, the second wireless router also in network communication with the packet network switch. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein instructing the wireless device to disconnect from the wireless router and connect to the second wireless router for communicating data packets is performed during a time when the wireless device is receiving a better signal strength from the wireless router than from the second wireless router. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions for optimizing instructs the wireless device to disconnect from the wireless router and connect to the second wireless router for communicating data packets. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for optimizing includes an instruction for increasing an amount of data being buffered at the wireless router. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for optimizing includes an instruction to refresh a routing table at the wireless router. 
     
     
       13. A method for monitoring and optimizing network performance for a wireless device comprising:
 determining network performance information of a wireless router, the wireless router in communication with the wireless device and a packet network switch, wherein determining the network performance information includes:
 counting a total number of the data packets being communicated via the wireless router during a time period; and 
 determining an amount of bandwidth associated with the data packets being communicated via the wireless router; 
 
 communicating data packets containing the network performance information between the wireless router and the packet network switch; and 
 communicating the data packets from the packet network switch to a network management device in communication with the packet network switch. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 adjusting, by the packet network switch, an encoding and decoding rate; and 
 storing the network performance information indicative of bandwidth of the data packets communicated over the network by the wireless router. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the network performance information is contained in IEEE standard 802.1AG data packets. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining whether at least one network performance information value of the wireless router exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and 
 communicating a switching instruction to the packet network switch to switch a flow of the data packets from a first data packet network to a second data packet network. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising adjusting, by the packet network switch, a power amount to optimize the network performance for the wireless device. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising communicating via the network management device a request to the wireless device to switch communication from one of the first and second data packet network to the other of the first and second data packet network. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising increasing an amount of data being buffered at the wireless router. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising refreshing a routing table at the wireless router.